Bottle-vending machine.



` PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. A. J. I. B. ALEXANDER. BOTTLE VENDING MACHINE. APPLIoA'rIoI uns rnn. '1. 1901.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v No.' 882,858.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1907. SBHEBTS SHEBT 2.

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PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.` A. J. L I. B. ALEXANDER. BOTTLB- VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1907.

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4 AANNNA ANNNNN e .rlnfnllllll'ulllldnnf UNITED STATES PATENT onnicn.

ABIJAH J. ALEXANDER AND ISAAC B. ALEXANDER, OF IIARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

BOTTL-VEDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

Application tiledA February 7, 1907. Serial No. 356,213.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, ABIJAH J. ALEXAN- DER and ISAAC B. ALEXANDER, citizens of the United States, residing at Hartsville, in the county of Darlington and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Vending Machines; and we do hereby declare the `following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to coin-controlled apparatus or automatic vending machines, and more especially to a machine for dispensing bottled wares, such for examplelas sodawater, ginger-ale and similar beverages. The machine is also adaptable for vending or dispensing other packages or articles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, ellicient and practicable machine of thecharacter and for the purpose stated, more particularly for the special purpose of storing and dispensingbottled wares.'

Another obj ect is to provide for refrigerating the bottles or packages contained in the machine until such time as they are delivered to -the purchasers.

With the foregoing objects in view, the

invention will hereinafter be fully described by reference to the accompanying drawings (which are to be taken as a part of this speciication), and then more particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

85 It is not desired, however, that the invention should be understood as essentially limited to the specific construction illustrated, as it is obvious thatthe same may be embodied in other e uivalent forms, and that alterations in vdetaiils parts 'may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a erspective viewof a complete machine, with a portion of its casing broken away to expose the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the sarne,.said section being taken on a line from front to rear of the machine. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and are detail views of the coincontrolled device.

As shown, the machine comprises, in the main, a refrigerator-casing having mounted `therein a revoluble drum which is controlled by the coin-operated device for delivering the bottles, the latter being fed to the drum from a reservoir wherein the bottles are of structure and arrangement of` directly exposed beneath the ice in the refrigerator.

The letter A denotes the casing, which may be of any appropriate structure and conformation, and which may be ornamented or embellished in any manner desired. In the illustration it has lthe appearance of an ordinary square or box-like structure, with an indentation at the front provided with a curved glass door or cover B overlying the front of the drum C and adapted to display the bottles or packages carried thereby. In the construction of the casing, the designer may avail .himself `of any of the well-known or improved devices and materials generally used in refrigerator construction. Within the casing, the'revoluble drum C is desirably mounted to turn on ball-bearings. The drum is provided on itsk periphery with a series of longitudinal pockets'c,each adapted to receive .and loosely hold or inclose one of the bottles or packages. to be delivered.

These pockets are or may be formed by any suitable partitions arranged between the projeeting rims of the opposite sides of the drum.

Above the drum, there is an inclined feedchute D, into and down which the bottles roll or pass from a space or chamber E, preferably in the up er back part of the casing. Said feed-chute and chamber E constitute a storage-reservoir, into which the bottles are introduced by inserting them through a' door F. The front'or lower end of the feed-chute has a downwardly-curvedv mouth d, located for delivering the bottles to the drum approximately above the axis of rotation or preferably slightly inadvance thereof. The ottles drop by gravity one by one into the pockets of the drum', as the-latter is turned or revolved step by step, as hereinafter explained.

Above the feed-chute is an open-bottomed- 'ice-chest or chamber G, wherein the ice for y refrigerating or cooling the bottles may be supported by anysuitable means, as upon a we -known form ofice-tray adapted to set 'within the ice-chest; the ice being introduced into the chamber through a door H. The

upper side of the feed-chute'comprises'a grating, screen or other reticulated late d',

which, vbesides preventing the bott es from rolling over or u on one another as they pass -down the side,l a so allows the descent of cold air from the ice upon the subjacent bottles in the feed-chute as well as those carried by the drum; thereby keeping them cold and los well-preserved. A drip-pan or receptacle .I is provided below the drum to receive the drippings from the ice. The cold water or drippings may drop directly through the grating or reticulated plate d andl trickle over thc bottles stored in the feed-chute, and then How over the front of the drum and bottles carried thereby (the partitions between the )ockets c being perforated or reticulated or that purpose), and drop finally into the drip-pan; or, if preferred, the ice-chest or chamber may have in its bottom any suitable provision for collecting the water and conveying it through a pipe to the dripan; as, for example, an elevated pan or shiel under the tray or supports for the ice, such devices being well-known in refrigerator-constructions. In either event,whether the cold water trickles down over the bottles, thereby promoting the refrigeration, or whether the water is collected in the icechamber and otherwise discharged therefrom, the supply of bottles in the feed-chute D and those in the drum C are exposed to the descending cold-air currents from the ice, thus cooling and preserving the bottles while stored in the machine and until they are dispensed or ejected by manipulation of the coin-and-slot device hereinafter described.

The upper front portion of the casing, ad-v chamber J, having access through a door K,

for general purposes, or for storing and keeping cool a reserve supply of bottles, or any other articles which 1t may be desired to keep on hand.

In the front of the casing, there is an exit opening of appropriate size to admit the passage of one bottle, for delivery to the purchaser. Said opening, located adjacent to the front peri hery of the drum and desirably slightly belldw its axis of rotation, is or may be closed by a swinging door or gate L, adapted to be pushed open. by the bottle delivered from'the drum, and adapted to close by gravity or otherwise; so as to keep the refrigerator closed. The bottle may be delivered upon or in any suitable receiver, as a table, receptacle or curved holder M, as shown in the drawings.

The drum C is revolved forwardly by the weight of the bottles carried thereby between the feed-chute D and exit-door L, and it is controlled by a suitable coin-operated device or coin-and-slot mechanism N adapted, when operated with an eligible coin, to intermittently release said drum and permit itA to advance or turn one step; there being one movement of the drum for each operation of said coin-actuated device.

At each turn of the drum, a bottle drops from the feed-chute D vinto the subjacent empty pocket or receptacle c, which has been brought Under the mouth d of said f eedchute; and, at the same time, the foremost bottle carried by the drum rolls froml its pocket against the swinging door L and out upon or into the receiver M, the pocket from which the bottle emerges having just been broughtin opposition to said exit-door. Af-

` ter such operation, the drum is held fixed or stationary until a subsequent manipulation of the .coin-controlled mechanism. In this connection, it will be understood that any suitable coin-controlled mechanism may be employed for operating, releasing'or controlling the drum; but, asl a part of the invention, we have devised the improved mechanism fshown in the drawings, a description of which is as follows: l Y

' 1 denotes the knob or head of a push-rod or plunger 2, which is slidably fitted in a bore or opening therefor in a body 3, which body may be a part of the casing A, or a projection or attachment thereon, as a block or casting of wood, metal or other material. The plunger is normally held outward or forward by a spring4, shown in the present example as a coiled spring inclosed within the plunslot 7 extends vertically. into a subja'cent recess 8 in the block or body 3. The plunger 2 projects into and through said recess 8, and has in its side a cross slot 9 which in the normal position of the plunger registers with one side or a proximately one-half of the coinslot 7. pon dropping an eligible coin (one o f proper size and denomination) into the slot 7, the coin will dropdown into the recess 8 and into the'cross-slot 9 in the plunger, so that a substantial portion of the coin is engaged by the plunger, while a substantial portion is free 1n the recess 8, the latter 'being of appropriate 'size and shape to accommodate the plunger and the coin projecting from its side. After inserting the coin, the purchaser pushes the knob or plunger-head 1, whereby the plunger 2 carries the coin engaged thereby inwardly and drops it, either directly into a receptacle or into a coin-chute 10' for delivering it to the money-box 11. As the coin is thus pushed inward, it engages and snaps past the beveled end 12 of a springactuatedtrigger 13, having a detent or catch 14; and the coin thus displaces the trigger, which, however, immediately snaps back to normal position under the influence of its spring 15. The trigger 13, through its detent 14, normally holds the drum C fixed or stationa (as by engaging under the partitions un er the pockets c, or otherwise engaging suitable catches, notches or rojeotions c at suitable intervals on the drum);

but when the trigger is displaced by the coin,

by inserting or dropping a proper coin into i the slot, and pushing the plunger. If a coin of larger size than necessary is attempted to be used, it will ofcourse be impossible touse Kit, since the slot 8 is only of suiiicient width to accommodatea coin of requisite dimens1on. In the event of lnserting a smaller com (as a penny or dune when a nickel 1s required), provision is made for returning suchineligible coin to its owner. For this purpose, a slot 16 extends downward from the recess 8, substantially as a continuation of the slot 7 but of slightly less width. Hence, a coin of smaller sizel than requisite will simply drop down through the slots 7 and 16 and pass `out through the bottom, falling upon or into the receiver M, or elsewhere as desired.

The mode of' operation of the .machine having already been explained in detail, it will be suiiicient to summarize as follows: The machine is made ready for service by iilling the bottle-reservoir (comprising the feed-chute D and introducing-chamber E), and by causing a 'step-by-step rotation of the drum C suiiicient to place bottles in the several pockets of the drum -betweenthe def livery-mouth d of the feed-chute and the exit-door L of the'fcase. A purchaser desiring toobtain aY bottlel drops a nickel- (or' Whatever coin may be charged) into the slot 7 and pushes the knob 1 of the, plungerZ, whereby the trigger 13 releases the drum and allows it to rotate one ste thus depositing a bottle through the exit and upon or into the receiver M, While simultaneously another bottle is fed from the feed-chute D into the pocket c of the drum next brought'under the mouth of said feed-chute.

We claim as our invention and desire to secure by'Letters Patent of the United States: 1. In an automatic Vvending machine, the combination of a casing, a revoluble carrierdrum mounted therein adapted to hold bottles or packages arranged lengthwise on the eriphery of the drum, a superposed inclined eed-chute having a mouth arranged for discharging the bottles'4 or packages one at a time to the drum as it is successively turned Iunder said mouth of said feed-chute, an open-bottomed ice chamber above said chute, a normally closed exit through which the bottles are one at a time'delivered from the drum as it successively turns past said.

exit, and means for controlling motion of the drum. 1

2. In a bottle-vending machine, the combination of a casing, an ice-chamber therein, an inclined feed-chamber under and adjacent to said, ice-chamber in which the bottles -are arranged side by side, being exposed to cold from the ice-chamber, a carrier-drum having its peripheryfspaced to hold bottles andarranged to revolve under the mouth of said feed-chute, an exit in the casing through which the bottles are delivered from the drum, and means for controlling motion of the drum.

3. In a'bottle-vending machine, the combination of a casing, arevoluble carrier-drum therein adapted [to receive bottles at its to and to deliver them from its front, a fee chute above the drum for feeding'the bottles thereto, an ice-chamber above said feedchute, a chamber behind said ice-ch amber for introducing the bottles, a supplemental refrigerator-chamber in front of said ice-chamberI an exit for the bottles in the front of the casing, and means in connection with 'the drum for controlling the motion thereof.

In 'testimony whereof Weafiix our signatures,'in presence of two Witnesses. 4

' ABIJAH J. ALEXANDER.

ISAAC B. ALEXANDER.Y Witnesses: r f

" LEON Z. Hroxs,

WALTER DGASQUE, 

